BROOKLYN, N.Y. - Located on Brooklyn's East River, the developers of Empire Stores, a Brooklyn mall converted from a warehouse, are relying on a deployable flood barrier to defend against an upcoming storm. 

The barrier, which is comprised of laminated marine grade plywood, stainless steel and aluminum, features hinged walls that form an L shape when erected. Twenty-nine crates of four- and seven-foot panels will be trucked to the mall site to create a 1,100-foot wall, surrounding the property.

Made by Norway-based AquaFence, the $1 million “deployable flood barrier” features vinyl between panels to keep water out, along with horizontal footings, which face the floodwaters head-on, keeping the walls from falling over.

AquaFence says a team of 10 people can install over 300 feet of its barrier per hour without loose parts. That means the entire 1,100-foot wall could be installed in just four or five hours.

“We are definitely protecting it against the next Sandy or a greater storm,” Adam Goldberg, AquaFence USA’s director for business development told the New York Times, who is examining how New York buildings are preparing for the expected Superstorm Sandy. “If the spillover is brief, there are pumps inside the protection barrier that would account for that.”

AquaFence Flood Protection Barrier Systems are designed for rapid deployment around a building or opening within hours of a pending flood event. Constructed of marine grade laminate, stainless steel, aluminum and reinforced PVC canvas, AquaFence systems become stronger as floodwater pressure is applied.

AquaFence flood protection barrier systems perform effectively without the need for anchoring to the ground. In high-wind situations however, anchors will provide added stability and enhanced performance.

Protective Shield The AquaFence system is designed to withstand impact from moving debris. Damage to individual components may occur but without system failure. In order to minimize damage, some customers choose to purchase systems with installed protective shields.

WASHINGTON - The Timber Innovation Act, bipartisan legislation that could advance the adoption of tall wood building construction in the U.S., is being applauded by industry leaders.

“We applaud the members of Congress who co-sponsored the Timber Innovation Act bill and encourage others to sign on," said Valerie Johnson, president and CEO of D.R. Johnson Wood Innovations. D.R. Johnson is the first U.S. company to receive APA/ANSI certification to manufacture structural CLT panels. They're hoping to help grow the U.S. market. 

ARTICLE Tall wood building trend sparks new market; D.R. Johnson ready to serve The Timber City exhibit is drawing attention to the recent boom in the worldwide movement toward timber construction. It's a market that lumber firms like D.R. Johnson are gearing up to serve.

"As the nation's first certified manufacturer of cross-laminated timber, my team has worked with architects, engineers and researchers to pioneer mass timber construction in the U.S.," continued Johnson. "We're proud of what we've been able to accomplish thus far and know that focused investment in this emerging sector can be a game changer. Mass timber construction can drive the green building revolution of the 21st century and catalyze job creation in rural areas. It is a win-win."

The Timber Innovation Act would effectively:

• Establish a performance driven research and development program for advancing tall wood building construction in the United States;
• Authorize the Tall Wood Building Prize Competition through the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) annually for the next five years;
• Create federal grants to support state, local, university and private sector education, outreach, research and development, including education and assistance for architects and builders, that will accelerate the use of wood in tall buildings;
• Authorize technical assistance from USDA, in cooperation with state foresters and state extension directors (or equivalent state officials), to implement a program of education and technical assistance for mass timber applications; and
• Incentivize the retrofitting of existing facilities located in areas with high unemployment rates, to spur job creation in rural areas.

LANGLEY, B.C. - Hardwoods Distribution Inc.  (TSX: HWD) says it has  purchased substantially all of the assets and assumed certain liabilities of Eagle Plywood and Lumber, paying $400,000, plus up to an additional $200,000 subject to future sales performance. The acquisition, valued in U.S. dollars, was made through its subsidiary Rugby Holdings LLC, financed by a draw on Hardwoods' existing credit facility.

Eagle is a single site wholesale distributor located in Dallas, with estimated annual sales of $500,000, distributing non-structural architectural grade
building products to customers that supply end-products to the commercial, industrial, retail, residential and institutional construction end-markets. The assets
and sales associated with the Eagle acquisition will be consolidated into the existing Rugby distribution facility in Dallas.

"This acquisition is a good example of our ability to leverage the robust pipeline we acquired as part of the acquisition of Rugby Architectural Building Products
last year," says Rob Brown, Hardwoods Distribution President and CEO. "Dallas is a significant market and the addition of Eagle to our existing operations in the
region adds customers and bench strength to our team."

Hardwoods Distribution Inc. is North America's largest distributor of non-structural architectural grade building products to the residential and commercial construction markets. The Company operates a North American

GRAYLING, Mich. - Arauco, investing in the construction of its massive particleboard plant with a planned capacity of 800,000 square meters per year in Grayling, Michigan, has purchased for the first time a complete plant from Dieffenbacher.

The two companies decided to work together in January 2016, followed by a phase of detailed engineering and concluding with the signing of supply contracts at the end of 2016.

The highlights of the scope of supply are Dieffenbacher’s EVOjet P gluing system, which reportedly uses up to 15 percent less glue; and the continuous CPS+ press, which, at 10 feet wide and 52.5 meters long, will be one of the largest particleboard presses in the world.

"Arauco always exercises prudence when it comes to committing to new development. Therefore, we are all the more pleased with the confidence that Arauco has shown in us with its decision to choose the CPS+," says Bernd Bielfeldt, head of the Wood Business Unit at Dieffenbacher.

The two driers, together with the associated energy system that Chile-based Arauco also commissioned from Dieffenbacher, are large parts of the new operation. Grayling is located in the northern part of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula.

The contract also includes dosing silos for the chips, a glue mixing station, forming stations and the forming line; as well as the raw board handling system, the sanding line and the Lukki bearing system, which Arauco has already had experience with at its other sites.

The new production site in Grayling will manufacture particleboard panels with a thickness of 6–40 mm, intended almost exclusively for furniture production. Arauco owns large tracts of forestry land in South America and operates numerous sawmills, plywood mills, pulp mills and power plants, and has systematically expanded its commitment in the area of wood-based panel production over the past few years.

Thanks to its acquisition of the Flakeboard group in North America and its share in the Portuguese Sonae Group, Arauco has now become the second-largest producer of wood-based panels in the world. See http://www.arauco-na.com/ or http://www.dieffenbacher.de/en.

MARKHAM, Ont. - Arauco North America promoted Al Murray to U.S. National Sales Manager, MDF. The move comes in the run-up to the opening of the massive Grayling, Michigan, plant, as the company reorganizes sales.
 
Murray will be reporting directly to Kevin Shotbolt, Vice President, Sales and Marketing. Last week, Shotbolt got another direct report, when Phil Pierot was named to head national sales in particleboard. And yesterday, Dieffenbacher announced it had sold a complete plant to Arauco, for its Grayling site.

Arauco is headquartered in Chile, and its North American business produces composite panels at nine mills across the U.S. and Canada, with 1,400 employees across all locations. Central support center for North America is based in Atlanta, and Markham, Ontario is .

 Murray brings a wealth of experience to this position, most recently as Mill Sales Manager for the composite plants in Moncure, NC and Bennettsville, SC.   
     
In addition to his other responsibilities, he was selected to be part of a dynamic SAP implementation team responsible for transitioning the company to its new and current operating platform; a role which utilized his other skills including, scheduling, logistics and planning.
   
As sales manager for North America's largest MDF producer, Murray will have responsibilities for Arauco's four U.S.-based MDF mills located in Moncure, North Carolina; Bennettsville, South Carolina; Malvern, Arkansas; and Eugene, Oregon.
 
 

Hear Hardwood Plywood & Veneer Expert on Lacey Act April 12 in Chicago - Learn More

How do I declare the species of highly processed products such as Particleboard or MDF?

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From rotogravure printer to surface specialist

Valchromat is an engineered wood product that combines the natural features of wood with the brightness of colors.

It is a product of Investwood, SA a Portuguese company that manages the production and sales of wood fiber boards and cement-wood boards. The wood fiber boards production is done at two plants, IFM, SA and Valbopan, SA - the latter producing MDF Valbopan and Valchromat, from pine wood.

Valchromat was created in 1996, by a research department at the Valbopan, SA factory, part of an effort to develop and improve wood-based products already on the market. Valbopan, SA was awarded  1st prize of Product Introduction and 1st Prize for Technological Innovation in Paris during the Approfal fair in 1998.

Investwood goes to some lengths to distinguish Valchromat from conventional MDF.

"Valchromat is not MDF; it is an evolution of  MDF," the company says. While it is similarly wood-based, it has color throughout the thickness, and was developed with specific features of physical and mechanical resistance. "The added value of Valchromat comes not only from color but also from its distinctive composition and manufacturing process," says Investwood.

Fibers are colored individually, impregnated with organic dyes and bonded together by a special resin which gives Valchromat unique physic and mechanical features.

It differs from MDF in several performance factors: it is moisture resistant; it has greater internal cohesion and, therefore, higher mechanical strength; it allows working in three dimensions, has greater resistance to bending, requires less effort to finish, and reduces abrasion of tools.

On the surface small wood fibers are visible, fibres which did not absorb the organic dyes. This peculiarity gives Valchromat its unique and natural look. Because wood, it’s main raw material, has natural variations in tonality, Valchromat can also show variations in color.

Valchromat can be used in several applications. It accepts different types of finishing, from matte, bright, varnished, waxed or oiled, to textured fire-resistant finishing. Among other features:

Colored throughout -  It is easy to repair in case of damaged, e. g., scratches. Just some sanding and a new local application of finishing suffice to recover the original appearance. Colour remains, even after cut or machined, regardless the intervention size or depth. It does not require the use of paint, avoiding thereby the toxic nature of these finishes and the inherent cost of acquisition. It does not require gluing an edge.

Easy to Machine - It is on average 30% stronger than standard MDF, and is used for structural purposes. Due to the addition of resins in the composition, it has a greater internal cohesion, which gives it a higher mechanical strength.

Non-toxic - Formaldehyde emissions are within limits set by European standards for wood-based materials.

Greater load resistance - It has a high bending resistance. Once again, its higher resistance capacity is related to its composition and manufacturing process.

Tool Friendly - The panels, after machined, require little or no sanding, reducing labour costs and facilitating the finishing process. Decisive for that in the manufacture process, is the magnetic separation and washing the woodchips, as well as the use of a resin with lubricant characteristics which prolongs the useful life of cutting tools.

Moisture Resistant - It is moisture resistant so it can be used in kitchens, bathrooms and floors. It is suitable for indoors but can be used in protected outdoor applications, in which case it is necessary to varnish the boards on all surfaces and edges.

Learn more at the Valchromat English pages on the Portugal website.

A U.K. technology developer has developed a world-first technology to recycle MDF waste – and recover wood fiber from it.

With research and development spanning six years, MDF Recovery recently concluded trials to develop a commercially viable process to recover wood fiber from used or off-cuts of MDF – offering what it says is the first-ever alternative to landfilling MDF.

MDF Recovery’s innovative processing technology is a patented process that produces wood fibers in the range of 0.5mm – 3mm; the same quality as virgin wood fiber.

“The recovered fiber produced by the process is of the same high quality as fiber obtained from virgin wood and can be used as a direct substitute in the manufacturing process,” said Craig Bartlett, co-founder and managing director of MDF Recovery. “The MDF Recovery technology can be retrofitted or designed into new plants and offers a robust solution for reworking waste and increasing the yield at the MDF manufacturing facility.”

A £250,000 ($312,000) investment from Suez Recycling and Recovery, a leading recycling and resource management organization, will allow MDF Recovery to take their technology to the next level: the commercial market.

“The Suez investment provides a significant boost to MDF Recovery in our quest to commercialize the technology to make single-use MDF a thing of the past,” says Bartlett.

The company says the fibers meet the technical specification for re-integration into MDF manufacture and can be supplied in commercially-relevant volumes.  They can be introduced into production lines operating traditional resination processes or those that utilize dry blending technology.

“Our process does not use chemicals and is more cost-efficient, energy-saving and environmentally-friendly than landfill or burning – the current options for the disposal of waste MDF.”

A full-scale plant could supply up to 5 tons of fibers per hour on a continuous basis. Bartlett estimates the process could recycle between 30,000 to 60,000 tons of MDF waste in the U.K. each year, almost 3 million tons globally.

MFDC Recovery says principal markets for MDF include the UK, Continental Europe, USA, Russia, Brazil and China. Demand for MDF products is increasing in Eastern Europe and Asia.

In addition to SUEZ and Innovate UK funding, the business is also backed by a group of angel investors.

Learn more about the MDF Recovery process here.

BELARUS – Kronospan, an international manufacturer of wood panel products, will invest $200 million in the expansion of its mills in Belarus – creating 120 new jobs in 2017 and 2018.

Kronospan announced the expansion March 21 when Belarus’ President Alexander Lukashenko visited one of the company’s OSB plants in Belarus, reported BelTA news.

Since 2010, Kronospan has invested nearly $1 billion in its Belarus operations, and has created over a thousand jobs in the country. Plants in Belarus manufacture laminated and non-laminated particleboard, MDF, impregnated paper, and floor pavement. Kronospan alone accounts for nearly 30 percent of Belarus’ annual woodworking industry output.

Last year, Kronospan invested $362 million in its Alabama plant, adding 160 jobs. It has invested $650 million in total in the plant, with its workforce numbering 270 people.

Kronospan is a world leader in wood-based panels with operations in 31 countries.

PRACHINBURI, Thailand– Metro-Ply Group, one of the largest wood-based panel manufacturers in Thailand, has opened a new, state-of-the-art MDF plant. It is the first Thai plant, and among the first in the world, to incorporate Dieffenbacher’s CPS+ continuous press.

Dieffenbacher began development of the new generation of presses in 2014, with a goal was to improve the thickness tolerances of manufactured boards. Using a modular frame with a new arrangement of press cylinders, the CPS+ is said to ensure perfectly even distribution of pressure when pressing the board. This provides consistent product quality and low raw material consumption.

The CPS+ features variable double joint press infeed, thermal expansion of the frames—which allow product changeover on the fly without interruptions—and the Parallel Press Gap System (PPS), which stops the mat "breathing out" between the cylinder banks.

In addition to the press, which measures roughly 9 feet wide and 132 feet long, Dieffenbacher supplied the drum dryer, the core layer sifter, the forming station with air spreading system—including roller deck, the forming line with prepress, and the entire raw board handling system and the automated raw board storage system.

The Metro-Ply Group will use the new CPS+ plant to produce MDF for worldwide export. The plant will soon be put into three-shift operation and achieve an annual capacity of over 6.5 million square feet.

The second CPS+ within the Metro-Ply Group—the third CPS+ sold by Dieffenbacher—will also soon be put into operation. Metro-Ply subsidiary Advance Fiber, based in Kanchanaburi, Thailand, plans to commission a new THDF plant with CPS+ press in the second quarter of 2017.

Metro-Ply is the first Medium Density Fiberboard (MDF) manufacturer in Thailand who received the ISO 9002 certification from International Organization for Standardization (ISO) to ensure the quality of management and improve the production process

MONTREAL - Richelieu Hardware Ltd. has acquired Weston Premium Woods Inc. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Richelieu said the addition of Weston's net assets will represent additional sales of approximately $60 million on an annual basis. It will enhanceRichelieu's presence in the wood and panel marketplace. Founded in 1953 and based in Brampton, Ontario, Weston Premium Woods distributes a range of materials, decorative products and hardwoods targeted to kitchen and bathroom cabinet, storage and closet, home furnishing and office furniture manufacturers, as well as residential and commercial woodworkers.

Announced April 18, Richelieu's acquisition of the Canadian distributor follows on the heels of its four U.S.-based acquisitions last year: Cornerstone Hardware & Supplies, JFH Corp., Eveready Hardware and Neils Sorenson Hardware.

Richelieu (TSX: RCH) is a North American distributor, importer and manufacturer of specialty hardware and complementary products. Its products are targeted to kitchen and bathroom cabinet, storage and closet, home furnishing and office furniture manufacturers, residential and commercial woodworkers, and hardware retailers including renovation superstores.

2016 consolidated sales for Richelieu reached $844.5 million, an increase of 12.6 percent over 2015.

Headquartered in Montreal, Richelieu has 37 distribution centers in Canada and 31 in the United States, along with two manufacturing plants in Canada: Cedan Industries Inc. which produces veneer sheets and edgebanding products, and Menuiserie des Pins Ltée which manufactures components for the window and door industry as well as decorative mouldings.
 

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- Bamboo and palm interior finishes manufacturer Smith & Fong Co. has launched Malabar, the latest in its line of Durapalm palm wood designs.

Inspired by the Malabar Coast region of southwest India, the Malabar panel is the second in a series of Durapalm panel designs derived from the Indian landscape.

The Malabar pattern comprises a series of offset, ovalesque carve-outs that evoke the traditional carving techniques and motifs of the region. The panel measures ¾ x 36 inches or 48 x 96 inches and is surface-treated with either a hand-rubbed poly or natural oil finish.

Applications include walls and ceilings as well as cabinetry, fixtures and furniture pieces. Durapalm products have been used in residential, commercial, retail and hospitality environments for more than 15 years. For further information see http://durapalm.com.

PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State University researchers have received a $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant to that will help builders use more sustainable timber in high-rise buildings in earthquake-prone areas.

As part of the $1.5 million National Science Foundation grant, the researchers will test their designs for a 10-story tall, wooden building by simulating a real earthquake in a laboratory.  CLT is a relatively new heavy timber structural material made of lumber layers that are glued together to create thick, solid wood panels.

Advocates of CLT say it can be used to construct buildings of equal strength and fire-resistance as those made of steel and concrete. It has also fueled the passions of architects and environmentalists, who believe it to be a much greener method for housing the world's growing population. 

Due to its benefits for carbon capture and reduced CO2 emissions in construction, CLT has sparked interest worldwide. Proposals for new projects include a 100-story tower in London, a 40-story building in Stockholm, and a residential complex in Vancouver.  An 18-story CLT wood structure, a student residence at the University of British Columbia, is nearing completion.

Daniel Dolan, professor at WSU’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and his colleagues are designing ways in which the material could be used in a building to withstand earthquakes. They are looking at both structural, load-bearing components, such as walls and beams, as well as non-structural components. One of their designs includes a rod that would run down the middle of a wall - resisting the earthquake’s movement and re-centering the wall when the shaking ends.

“We want to create a building design that will have little damage in earthquakes and still be habitable.  This will allow communities to recover faster,” said Dolan.  “For many Americans, a house is the biggest investment they will have in their lives and we’re trying to protect it.”

Source: Washington State University

AMHERST, Mass.– An 87,000-square-foot engineered wood building has opened on the campus of the University of Massachusetts. UMass says its new Design Building is the largest modern wood building in the U.S. - and the most advanced cross-laminated timber (CLT) building in the country.

Designed by Boston-based architects Leers Weinzapfel Associates, the $52 million building is among the first in the U.S. to use a wood-concrete composite floor system. The four-story building features a glulam frame, CLT shaft walls and stairway, and a wood-steel truss system.

The building saves the equivalent of over 2,300 metric tons of carbon when compared to a traditional energy-intensive steel and concrete building, says the university.

"The Design Building reflects the university's commitment to sustainability and innovation in education," said Chancellor Kumble Subbaswamy. "It is a landmark building that offers an optimal space for team projects and experimentation and serves as an educational tool for students exploring every aspect of architecture, design, planning and construction."

Home to the architecture, building and construction technology, and landscape architecture academic units, the building intentionally features exposed structural elements and service systems for teaching. The building's disciplinary program is organized around an interior courtyard of exposed timber, an exterior landscaped courtyard and outdoor classroom.

CLT is quickly gaining momentum around the country as advocates say it can be used to construct buildings of equal strength and fire-resistance as those made of steel and concrete. It has also fueled the passions of architects and environmentalists, who believe it to be a much greener method for housing the world's growing population.

Due to its benefits for carbon capture and reduced CO2 emissions in construction, CLT has sparked interest worldwide. Proposals for new projects include a 100-story tower in London, a 40-story building in Stockholm, and a residential complex in Vancouver.  An 18-story CLT wood structure, a student residence at the University of British Columbia, is nearing completion.

Photo by Leers Weinzapfel Associates

ABBOTSFORD, B.C. - Construction is underway at StructureCraft for the building of North America's first dowel laminated timber plant. The 50,000-square-foot facility in Abbotsford, British Columbia, is expected to be completed in August.

Dowel laminated timber (DLT) can be used for floor, wall, and roof structures. Unlike other structural timber products, such as CLT (cross laminated timber), LVL (laminated veneer lumber), GLT (glue laminated timber) and NLT (nail laminated timber), DLT does not use glue, nails or other metal fasteners, the company says. Instead, the wood panels use hardwood dowels to friction fit pre-milled boards together on edge.

A variety of profiles can be integrated into the bottom surface of the DLT panel, StructureCraft Builders noted. The company said it plans to use a variety of species, including SPF wood (spruce-pine-fir), Douglas fir, hemlock, Sitka spruce, and western red or yellow cedar, to manufacture the timber product.

Photo: StructureCraft

The Delta, B.C.-based StructureCraft said the new plant will be designed and built with a variety of mass timber and engineered wood products, including DLT, NLT, LSL (laminated strand lumber) and Glulam. The shop has been designed as a demountable structure, with modular wall and roof panels to allow for future expansion, the company added.

Plant rendering. Photo: StructureCraft

StructureCraft manufactures and sources mass timber products including DLT, CLT, NLT, and Glulam as well as steel components such as connections, cables, and castings.

Also known under the name dübelholz, DLT has been manufactured commercially in Europe for a number of years.